For Gerren's friends and Air Force comrades, 'wounds are very, very fresh'

Hope faded to grief for the Gerren family Wednesday as Air Force officials announced they had suspended search and rescue efforts for 1st Lt. Robert Gerren, a Gladwin native whose B-52 bomber crashed Monday near Guam.

The Air Force identified Gerren for the first time, and his five crewmen, declaring that none had survived.

The six airmen's B-52 had crashed some 48 hours earlier on a training mission 25 miles off Guam's coast.

Gerren's family members, gathered Tuesday at the airman's mother's Essexville home, said they remained hopeful about Robert's rescue at the time. After Wednesday's official word, they declined comment.

Gerren was a 1994 Gladwin High School graduate. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Saginaw Valley State University in 2002.

"Bobby was a top-notch student," said Dave Beyer, who taught Gerren high school history and coached him in track. "He was the kind of kid you wanted in your classes because he was so bright.

"He stands out after all these years because he didn't stand out," Beyer continued. "He was a quiet leader. He didn't look to lead, but he was a leader because he was such a caring, smart kid. People responded to him."

As family members and friends grapple with grief, Gerren's Air Force comrades said Wednesday they're just starting to process their own shock. Gerren and all but one deceased crew member had been stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, La.

Airmen there say they're planning a memorial service Friday for their fallen Raider 21 comrades. On Wednesday, they created an online memorial with each officer's photo and began to assemble their fallen friend's dog tags, helmets, aviation scarves and condolence books for a memorial at the base museum.

The condolence books, signed for each airman, will eventually go to the officers' respective families, base officials said.

"These wounds are very, very fresh. We're giving people time before anyone's asked to talk," said Maj. Carie Parker, chief of Pubic Affairs for Barksdale Air Force Base.

Robert Gerren was the only Michigan man killed in Monday's B-52 crash. His unit had deployed to Guam from Shreveport on June 13, family members said.

Gerren is survived by his mother, Linda Gerren of Essexville. Gerren's father, Duane Gerren, is a retired Michigan State Police trooper formerly of Gladwin, now living in Casa Grande, Ariz.

Gerren's sister, Jennifer Patton of Grand Rapids, was also an Air Force member, friends said.

As of early today, the Air Force did not disclose details about what caused Gerren's plane to fail. Authorities said an officers panel would investigate the accident while a recovery team continues searching for the bodies of the missing airmen.

Two bodies were recovered early this week; forensic specialists are working to identify additional remains, the Air Force said Wednesday.

"It's a terrible tragedy, the sort you never think will effect someone in your community," said Cindy Jones of Gladwin, a friend and former neighbor to the Gerrens. "This was a nice family, very well-respected. And Bobby was a class A kid."